PA 114 – PROJECT MANAGEMENT

MODULE
Roderick Tuling Olivar, MPA (CAR), CHRA
 CHAPTER 3
The Project Manager
Objectives
At the end of this chapter, the learner will be able to:

Recognize project management as a career opportunity;

Categorize the different key skills of a project manager;
Differentiate functional manager from project manager;
Characterize the essential characteristics in the selection of a project manager;
Determine the responsibilities of a project manager towards his team;
Internalize the essential characteristics of becoming an effective project team member.
In an ideal world, the project manager has to simply execute the project and the project would
be finished. Yet, no one lives in an ideal world and hardly ever achieves everything according to plan.
A project manager does a lot. It takes a special person like a project manager to both manage and lead
a project simultaneously-thus making him a valuable person of the organization.
The Career of a Project Manager
A lot of firms have an extensive array of types and sizes of projects in progress at the same
time. It takes a good and experienced project manager to engage with several projects simultaneously
and serve a purpose beyond the output of the projects themselves.
A successful project manager plans the project from start to finish, follow up progress of
business and technology in time, with flexible management tools. A project manager is the person who
has the overall responsibility for the successful initiation, planning, design, execution, monitoring,
controlling and closure of a project.

The project manager is responsible for the following tasks:

1. describing the scope of the project accurately

2. setting up the project schedule, and revising that schedule as it progress
3. recommending the project cost and then administering the project to avoid cost overruns
4. ensuring the project team has the supplies and human resources required to get the project
done on time and on cost
5. naming and reducing possible risks to the project timeframe and cost
6. ensuring that all project team members realize what their responsibilities are
7. communicate the project's development to management
8. guarantee the quality of the team's work and any supplies or materials used by the team

Many current project managers though academically trained in management do not really have
college-level training specifically in project management. Projects offer an excellent environment for
exceptional career advancement for future executives to develop their managerial skills.

The career path of a project manager begins with actively participating in small projects. Then,
later the skills and experiences gained from undersized projects could be employed in larger ones. A
tooling manager, a project engineer, a manufacturing engineer, or a deputy project manager could be
given a project manager responsibility later on. The experience as project manager is obviously a step
toward the corporate ladder. The capability of the project manager to meet the difficulties of senior
management positions is portrayed by his ability to attain the project's goals while operating in a chaotic
environment even in the absence of an overt authority.

The trend today for firms is to look for a project manager with specific experience and skills to
understand the ins and outs of the technology or project being implemented. Consequently, it is
imperative for the project managers of this generation to continuously develop their project
management skills and obtain certification in this field. At the same time, they must keep themselves
abreast and be trained in the latest technologies.

Key Skills of a Project Manager

The project manager is an essential input in the success of any project. Aside from being the
leader in planning, organizing and controlling the project, the manager must have a set of skills to
motivate the project team to do well and gain the confidence of the customer. A project manager's skills
include the following:

1. Organizational skill – A project manager creates structure from chaos by using specific tools such
as charters, risk assessments, Gantt charts, decision matrices, and many other tools throughout the
project.

2. Skill to develop people – Training and development of people working for the project is a
commitment of the project manager. As a manager he has to add to each member's experience making
them more knowledgeable and proficient at the end of the project than when they started it.

3. Communication skill – A project manager must be proficient in both oral and written
communication to always make certain that he is clearly understood by all stakeholders. A good
communication skill is important in keeping the project progressing, spotting probable problems,
getting suggestions for project performance improvement, being updated with ways of satisfying
customers, creating good working relations with project team among others.

4. Interpersonal skill – A project leader must be able to clearly communicate about goals,
responsibility, performance, expectations and feedback. The leader must have the skill to successfully
bargain and make use of influence when needed to make certain the success of the team and project.

5. Skill to handle stress – A project manager should be able to manage stress from work situations that
are both tense and severe at times. Even well planned projects may become subjected to unforeseen
events that can cause urgent disorder for which the manager must not panic. The project manager must
have sense of humour in good taste, be physically fit through regular exercise and good nutrition to
handle stress related to his work.

6. Problem solving skill – A project manager ought to persuade project team members to recognize
problems early and be self-directed in resolving them. Using analytical skill the project leader together
with project team members should evaluate the information and formulate optimal solution to the
problem.
7. Management and leadership skill – A project manager must know how to motivate people who do
not work for them, and keep teams working effectively together.
8. Time Management skill – Time is a project manager's scarcest resource. Budgeting time wisely and
immediately adjusting priorities is required of the project leader.

9. Technical skill – Technical knowledge bestows the project manager the creditability to offer
leadership on a technically based project, the capability to comprehend vital aspects of the project, and
the aptitude to converse in the lingo of the technicians.

Functional manager vs. Project manager

In businesses and other organizations, individuals assume a variety of roles based on the
requirements of the firm. The title of a "manager" can be granted to almost any role since it signifies a
particular level of experience or power. The titles of functional manager and project manager symbolize
authority. In addition these titles create an obvious description between roles that can overlap. Yet,
ideally these two roles are collaborative in nature, but each center on a dissimilar set of responsibilities
(see Table 6).

Table 6 Comparison between Functional Manager and Project Manager

Point of Comparison Functional Manager Project Manager

Authority known as a line has the responsibility of
manager, is reporting to executives
traditionally the person in charge of the team
who the project that they manage
manager and other When it comes to
members of the team hiring (or firing), the
report to project over manager
manager has authority will consult with the
which projects the team functional manager as
pursues and is higher in to what is the best
the chain of command decision based on the
than the project project's needs, but the
manager ultimate decision lies
with the functional
manager

Process Success The effectiveness of the The success of the

entire team falls under project lies on the
the responsibility of the shoulders of the project
functional manager manage
The project manager is
the team expert for
delivering successful
projects; this involves
knowing all of the
 project inputs
necessary to achieve a
goal such as staff time,
costs and equipment as
well as having a keen
focus on how and when
the project will meet its
objectives, managing
the project schedule,
milestones and
reporting
Staff Management Functional manager is The project manager is
responsible for responsible for
measuring the overall ensuring that each staff
effectiveness of the member understands
staff, performing her role in the project
evaluations, and is adequately
professional meeting outlined goals;
development and he views the staff as the
resolving conflicts. resources necessary to
accomplish project
tasks and lead the
efforts in outlining,
scheduling and
monitoring the work to
be done.
Technology Management Functional manager The project manager
manages people manages resources and
assets necessary for the
successful project
Skills More skilled at analysis More skilled at
synthesis
Role A direct, technical A facilitator and
supervisor generalist
Administratively Responsible for
responsible for organizing, planning,
deciding how budgeting, directing,
something will be planning, and
done, who is going to controlling the project.
do it, and what
resources will be
devoted to accomplish
a task.
Competency Should have Should be competent in
knowledge in the the science of project
along with having the
 technology of the technical competence
process being managed in some aspects
Approach Analytical in approach Uses a system approach
(breaking the system like understanding the
into smaller elements) organizational
and he knows problem, for which the
something about the project is a part, the
operation for which he organization for which
is responsible. the program exists, as
well as the environment
of the organization.
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Important Characteristics in the Selection of a Project Manager

The choice of a project manager is a crucial decision relating to the management of a project.
The drive to complete a difficult task amidst risks and constraints makes a project manager a rare
individual. The following are the popular characteristics being looked for in the choice of a project
manager:

1. Credibility – A project manager must possess both technical and administrative credibility. The
project manager to be technically credible must possess sufficient technical knowledge to direct the
project as perceived by the client. Senior managers, functional heads and the project team members.
The success of a project is always linked to the technical competence of a project manager. Likewise,
the technical competence of the project leader is seen as a positive leadership character by project team
members. High level of expertise is not a requirement for a successful project leader. Simply, the project
manager must have a realistic comprehension of the fundamental technologies employed in have the
project, must be able to give details of the project technology to senior managers, and must be able to
construe the technical needs and wants of the customer to the project team members. In the same manner
that the project leader must be capable of listening to the difficulties experienced by project team and
know them to resolve them, maybe making upper management be aware of them. The project manager
must also possess administrative credibility in order to easily execute several administrative
responsibilities like keeping the project on schedule and within budget and creating accurate and timely
project reports. Ensuring that the materials, equipment and labour are accessible when and where
needed is the responsibility of the project team headed by the project manager. The project manager has
the responsibility of making tough trade-off decisions for the interest of all stakeholders, therefore he
must be perceived to always acquire mature decision and guts.

2. Sensitivity – The project manager has to sense interpersonal conflict among members of the team or
between team and those outside. A project manager must be able to detect conflict in order to tackle
and deal with them prior to becoming a feud among departments or within departments. It is significant
that the project leader must influence individuals to cooperate despite personal indifferences and
grudges towards the attainment of the project goals. Unfortunately, there are members of the team
though competent and honest try their failures which may hinder the movement of the project. The
project manager must be able to know when things are not progressing properly due to these hidden
failures.
3. Leadership, ethics and management style – Leadership is the ability to influence others towards
the attainment of a common goal. Success of different projects is attributed to the different yet fitting
styles of project managers. The key is to use each style at the right time. A strong sense of ethics is a
significant aspect of leadership for a project manager. Common unethical practices in business include
kickbacks, violation of standards, compromising on safety and buy-in.

4. Ability to handle stress – A project manager is prone to stress similar to any other humans. There
are four major stress often experienced by a project manager: no standard set of procedures and
techniques with which to direct their work; too much work to do; high requirement for achievement
that always end up as a failure; and the so many changes of the parent organization. The organization
must minimize work overload both for their project managers and employees. The project manager
should be self-aware and marks the dangerous signals to avoid over-stressed.

Responsibilities of a Project Manager

The project manager is answerable for making certain that everybody on the team recognizes
and performs their designated roles, feels authorized and given support for the role, distinguished the
roles of the other team members and operates upon the confidence that those roles will be executed.
The particular responsibilities of the project manager may differ based from the type industry, the
organization size, the organization maturity, and the organization culture. Nevertheless, there are some
responsibilities that are universal to all project managers, that is:

1. create the project plan

2. deal with the project stakeholders
3. supervise communication
4. direct the project team
5. handle the project risk
6. control the project schedule
7. cope with the project budget
8. handle the project conflicts
9. direct the project delivery

In reality, the project manager has no direct subordinates under his supervision. Though, there
are people who work for him on the project. This is the project team who spend much of their time
working to complete the project.

The responsibilities of the project manager toward his team members are ordered by the fixed
time nature of the project itself and the specialized character of the team. Due to the temporary nature
of a project, the future of the team members must be given concern by the project manager. The project
manager must assist the team members during their transition to their functional homes or to new
projects when the project nears completion. If this transition period is not given attention, the team
members will give less focus to completing the project on time; rather pay more emphasis on protecting
their own respective careers.

Important Characteristics of an Effective Project Team Member

 The project team member is responsible for carrying out tasks and generating deliverables as
delineated in the project plan and supervised by the pro manager.
It is essential to know the characteristics of an effective project team i firm is looking for
candidates to work on an upcorning project. This will enable management to choose the right people
for every phase of the project and anticipate a winning result.

1. Team Players – Shun from a person with a diva-like personality or a characte for being arrogant or
belittling others, even how experienced or skillful that person might be Somebody who desires special
attention is prone to become the root of splitting up and draw focus away from the project. Use pr
evaluations from previous project teams to study the most likely candidates.

2. Self-Starters – Effective project team members are primed even from the start; prepared, eager and
enthusiastic to get the job. They know the need for a solid plan, including a project initiation checklist.
However, don't be shocked when these project team members exceed cut-off date while doing
exceptional work.

3. Influential – Members of an effective project team should have positive influence over their peers.
They should be able to persuade community members who could be helpful to the project as well as
their superiors and subordinates. Team members who are influential will not only be able to convince
key people to become involved but also inspire others to take action.

4. Motivational – Along the same vein, effective project team members are motivational by nature.
While of course it is important that the project manager is able to inspire the team to perform the
necessary tasks, it is just as imperative that the project team members are able to inspire and encourage
one another as well as themselves. A motivated team will have clear project goals in sight and have the
endurance to carry through to completion.

5. Have Skills and Experience – An effective project team has team members with talent, knowledge
and familiarity essential to complete the activities handed over to them. The team must have an
assortment of skills and personalities. In order to select the best candidates, understanding and
determining the crucial project management skills will help.

6. Dependable – The members of an effective project team are dependable; responsible and accountable
to one another as well as to themselves. They generate a sensible schedule that integrates timeliness
with precision and detail, leaving several opportunities for unforeseen obstacles. They stick to that
schedule for the reason that they don't desire to let down their teammates or themselves.

7. Can Communicate Well – Effective project team members know how to express themselves in a
way that gets their point across without offending others. They also effectively listen when others are
articulating thoughts, opinions and ideas. They will be proficient to talk well with other team members
as well as management, other employees and those with whom they must come in contact to complete
the assigned tasks for the project. This characteristic reduces the chances of misunderstandings and
misinformation, as well.
8. Committed – Team members who are committed to the organization as well as the project in
common are highly effective. They are much more likely to give 100 percent at every step of the project
and go above and beyond when required committed team members believe in what they are doing.
Therefore they take immense contentment in a job well done. These are the team members who tend to
set up weekly meetings in order to make sure everyone is on track and that there are no foreseeable
problems.

9. Can Think Creatively – One of the often overlooked yet highly valuable characteristics of an
effective project team are that they are able to think imaginatively. They are resourceful by nature and
look for ways to make the best of the tools and materials that are available. Creative thinkers are
especially helpful during project planning, as they can often put thoughts and ideas into other
perspectives, turning out inventive and innovative concepts.

10. Supportive – Last but certainly not least, effective project team members should be supportive of
the project, the company and one another. When the project team stands behind what the organization
and project represents, rest assured that they will perform the best job possible. A supportive team will
check in with one another to learn the project status and learn whether any of their teammates need help.
They will work together to ensure that the project is completed in a timely and successful manner.